Experiment 17
by BellaGRN7
Summary: They changed me. Messed with my DNA , with my body in ways that still makes my skin crawl. And they did it all for the sake of trying. GarrusxOCxThane GarrusxF!ShepxThane
1. Chapter 1: Goodbye

Hello all! I know, shocking that I am actually going to update regularly. It's going to be great, promise.

As my current followers should know, this is for my 'slight' obsession for Thane Krios and Garrus Vakarian. The story will be majorly focused around my OC, Fifer Leighton (I changed her accent, it got tedious to read after awhile). I plan to switch Point of Views, seeing as I am also using an original Shepard(Kathrine). That aside, I also plan to focus mostly on the romance and character development. Don't get me wrong, there will be action, fights, and many other things but I plan to put the most time in the romance, no offence.

This chapter is short, but it's only the beginning. Hopefully you enjoy my semi-new writing style.

I should change my name to hopelesslyromantic. Heh

Anyway, I'm going to say this once, but it applies to all chapters from here on out.

**DISCLAIMER**

**Fan** \- an ardent devotee; _an enthusiast_

**Fiction** \- a literary work based on the imagination and _not_ necessarily_ on fact_.

**Fan Fiction** \- Fiction written by a fan of, and_ featuring characters from a particular_ TV series, movie, _game_, etc.

**I DO NOT OWN ANY BIOWARE CONTENT.**

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**Don't Say Goodbye**

* * *

From the tips of my toes to the crown of my head, I felt it. I needed to go, to do what any good big sister should. To do what any good military child should. The pen shook in my hand. All I had to do was sign my name to the contract and I could live knowing I was doing my best.

The man gave me a tiny smile, encouraging me to put my name on the little tablet. I returned it with nervous laugh. _There was nothing to be scared of, Fifer. _Quickly signing my name to the bottom of the contract, I pushed the tablet and pen back towards the man in Alliance military garb. A content smile crossed my face as I listened to him talk about the benefits and the training. It was going to be okay, everything would be okay.

_I, Fifer Margery Leighton do solomely swear I will support and defend the united people against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear the true faith and allegiance; and am willing to lay down my life in order to protect the same. _

* * *

The day was finally here, the day Fifer would be getting her first active-duty assignment. A watery smile worked it's way onto the Scottish womans face. It had been a long few months of training away from her baby sister and she was reluctant to leave her again, but she had too. For herself, for her parents, for her sister.

"Ye better stay safe, Fifer." Aurelia muttered, voice heavy with restrained tears. The woman in question pushed her little sisters hair from her face to meet her bright baby blues with murky amber ones.

"Ah'm going to be fine, Aura." The red head whispered back. Her breath hitching when she saw the blondes face contort in sadness. Pulling her sister in for a hug, she whispered soothing words. Fifer would be fine, the alliance had trained her for anything. The smile on her face grew as she gazed down at her sisters wet one.

"It doesn't stop me from worryin'." A small laugh left her as she wiped her sisters tears, making sure her make-up didn't smudge in the process. Memories of having to do this flooded her head. Bittersweet, but cherished memories that Fifer would always carry with her. "Ah'm going to miss ye."

"Ah'll be back so soon you won't even believe Ah had left." Fifer let her lips linger on her sisters forehead before pulling her back in for another hug. Auras hands clutched the back of her military uniform as she fought back sobs. "Ye don't have to worry yourself sick. Ah'm a trained Alliance soldier, now."

All the blonde could do was nod against her sisters shoulder. The older womans dark curls shielding her face. This would be the last time for a long time Aura would be able to hug her, and that thought sent her into near hysterics. Fifer held her sister close, humming a small toon that she had used to put her to sleep when they were children. They stood like that for a long while, even after Aurelia had calmed.

Fifer was running her fingers along her sisters back when she caught sight of the cab that would take her away. A sigh left her as she pulled away again. She chuckled, her voice low as she spoke.

"Ah've got to go, now, Aura." A smile worked it's way back onto her lips as she pulled back to point at the blondes left side. "Ye will always have me with ye. Ah'll always be here to keep you're feet on the ground, promise."

"And Ah'll always be there to keep you're head in the clouds, promise." Aurelia smiled at her sister through the tears, happiness shining in her eyes. Fifer took a moment to examine her as the cab stopped behind her. _So much like mother_, the Scotts woman thought. Fingering the locket hanging from her neck, a bright smile lit her face. She hurried to unclasp it. "Fifer, what are ye doing?"

"Ye will keep this till Ah get back."

"No, Fifi-"

"Aura, please." The blonde hesitated, before gently taking the only thing they had of their mother. Fifer smiled, pulling the gold necklace back so she could clasp it around her sisters neck. The thin chain hung delicately, pulled lower because of the locket attached. "It looks better on ye, anyway."

Aura looked to her sister for a long moment, hand around the heirloom. Tears began to build again and before the wild haired woman could say anything, she jumped at her. Fifer laughed, arms once again holding the blonde.

"Ah love ye, Fifer. Ah'll miss ye."

"As Ah love ye, Aurelia." Placing one last kiss on her forehead, she turned to the cab, hoisting her bag up on her shoulder. "Don't say goodbye, Aura." Fifer called, voice holding a forced lightness as the door opened for her. Their eyes met and the redhead gave her a lopsided grin. "This won't be the last time ye see me."

A little, hesitant smile was her only reply. With a heavy heart, she plopped herself on the leather seat, turning to look back at her baby sister. Aurelia stood, silently crying as she watched the doors close. Putting her hand against the cool glass in her final farewell, Fifer couldn't help but feel her gut churn. Restrained tears made paths down her cheeks as her sisters form grew smaller and smaller. Her hand didn't leave the glass till she was out of the district.

Aura watched the cab go. Her hand staying suspended until she could no longer see the vehicle in the sky traffic. The turning of her stomach made her nerves worsen a considerable amount. With a deep sigh, the blondes nimble fingers grazed the locket, before whispering a small prayer.

"Please, God, protect my big sister."


	2. Chapter 2: The Facility

**READ CHAPTER ONE FIRST, FOLLOWERS.**

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The warmth that surrounded my shoulders had me relaxing into the somewhat firm mattress. I was home, at the family house on the beach. A contented smile fell onto my lips as I faintly smelled Sunday breakfast. Pancakes soon to be doused in sugary syrup, bacon- real, unhealthy bacon- and to top it all off, an over easy egg placed on top. The mew that left me was unintended but left my throat feeling dry. My brows twitched and I slowly, leisurely stretched, my back arching.

A gasp tore from me.

I howled, turning on my side to hunch around the pain in my stomach. Every beat of my heart sent a new wave of pain to my abdomen. Faintly, I heard alarms blare and worried we were under attack. Had we already been attacked? My mind was foggy with pain, each second growing longer than the last.

My eyes squeezed shut and I clenched my teeth, hands clutching my arms so tight it almost took away from the pain in my stomach. Almost. Agony twisted my mind, tuning me out from the world around me. I felt hands grasp my limbs, tugging and pulling as the tried to lay me flat on the mattress. My limbs flailed, body twitching and I arched my back again, trying to relieve some of the pain. Nothing worked.

Everything grew hazy, my veins going cold as the pain subsided. The last thing I saw was the yellow emblem that the doctor wore. My heart stuttered in my chest, fear gripping me and remaining in my dreams as I felt my eyes begin to close. I was captured by the enemy.

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**The Facility **

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Experiment XVII, that's was her official name in Cerberus' records. They called her Lucky Number Seventeen when they discussed her, and Lucky as if her survival had taken her name. It might as well have. She was one of the original 20 that had survived the experiments, and continued to survive as they grew worse and more creative. The only others to live - to Fifers knowledge- were Mary Walker and Triston Johnson, Experiments 64 and 103.

The Scotts woman pushed the alien food around on her tray. Cerberus gave them a new species-specified food every day to test how well their mutated bodies handled it. A Salarian food that looked like a strawberry and smelt like sugar, but tasted of peach salsa that left her hesitant to eat it. It left a tingle on her tongue that she couldn't count as spicy. She was glad, she couldn't handle hot foods.

Bright baby blues flashed in her mind and the hand around her fork grew tense. The only person to share her view on spice had been Aura. Fifers eyes turned to stare blankly at the pale green substance. It had been three years since she had been labeled KIA. Out of the nine years she had been in the alliance, the lieutenant had lost her first battle that day and most of her team. Her eyes closed as she worked to calm her breathing and push back blurry memories of her failure, throat humming in anger.

"What's wrong, Piper?" An amused snort left her as she met the dark blue eyes of her companion. Mary hadn't shown up yet, still working on taming her biotics.

"Nothing really, Christian. Ye know how things are." He sent her a cocky smirk, eyes sympathetic. The tanned alliance soldier popped the Salarian fruit she had been toying with into his mouth. Fifer sent him a half hearted glare, lips pursed as she pointed her fork at him, his tight Cerberus suit stretching across his chest as he sat straighter at her sarcastic anger. "Ye still owe me that Turian desert Ah like so much-"

"Dauliun."

"Aye, Dawleeun, whatever. Ah gave that to ye so ye could woo Mary and Ah've yet to see the delicious little snack, Dalton." Triston laughed after making a face at the taste of the mushy pudding-like food. The redhead gestured to her plate, having actually enjoyed it. It reminded her of honey glazed ham. Without hesitation, he scraped it off.

"It'll happen soon, don't fret, little Flipper." Fifer made a face at the name, sticking the Salarian pudding into her mouth. They ate in silence for a moment, both enjoying the comfort they found in each other, a soldiers bond. Triston had been taken, much like she had. Both found half alive on the battlefield. The redhead tugged at her worn vest, the only thing besides her tags they let her keep.

The door swished open and Triston turned to look at the woman that had entered. She gave him a broad smile, raven hair still wet from the shower. Fifer sent her a grin and a wink before going back to her plate. Mary made her way to the small buffet after returning the wink to load her own plate. The brunette man followed her with his eyes, watching her hips sway while making an effort to remain nonchalant. He attempted to bring the fruit he had stealthly stole from Fifers plate to his mouth, eyes still glued to her backside. It ended up halfway in his nose.

Fifer snorted around her water, trying not to choke. The man flushed, quickly hiding his face behind his own cup. Her loud laugh echoed around the quiet room. Mary's dark brown eyes found Tristons and all he could do was hunch lower in his seat.

"Nice one, Watson."

"Shut. Up." She was still chuckling when Mary came and took a seat next to the embarrassed man. The raven haired woman raised an eyebrow, but Fifer just shook her head with a dopey smile on her lips.

They ate in relative silence, talking of what the alien foods tasted like to humans. Fifer tensed, her hearing picking up loud bangs and rushed movements. The door slid open to reveal a bulky man in Cerberus garb. He ignored them, his face twisted in anxiety. Triston glanced at Fifer before putting his fork down. The Cerberus guard just continued on his way, rifle loaded.

Fifer sent the other two a look, heart starting to race in her chest. When she stood she gestured for them to follow her. Mary grabbed Tristons hand, holding tightly as she attempted to calm down. Her civilian background was at the forefront of Fifers mind as she ushered them towards the training area. Tristons hard look told Fifer she wasn't the only one feeling something was wrong.

It had taken them a while, but Cerberus had relented, allowing them to train with weapons. It started with some measly pistols, but as they progressed and remained subservient to their demands, other weapons began showing up. Nothing special, but it was someting.

The training ground was Fifers favorite place. It was the one place that felt like she had the power. Pausing, she gazed down the completely barren hallway. Something was definitely wrong here. The lieutenant spoke in a hard tone as she worked on breaking into the storage room holding the weapons.

"We're going to grab as many weapons and ammo as we can carry and go hide somewhere until we know what's going on." Triston nodded, placing Mary between him and Fifer, knowing it was the safest place for her. "When we find out what's happening, we rush to find an exit, or we stay hidden until they find us." The door swished open, revealing the treasure within. Fifer walked straight to the back, grabbing one of the Cerberus packs they had used to train for hard weather.

If the redhead was happy about one thing, Cerberus kept them in top shape- ready for anything. A pained smirk grew on her lips as she shoved handfuls of heat sinks in the front pocket. Cerberus was making them into the perfect soldiers, to use them in whatever fucked up plan they had going on.

"What about me?" Mary questioned, voice shaking as she tried to stand tall. The lieutenant eyed a box of emergency medigel before stuffing them into her pack. Turning to look at the girl, she sighed. The Cerberus jumpsuit complimented her lean form, but lacked the necessary pockets to shove important items in.

"You stay between us-"

"Ye will not participate in battle unless needed to." Fifer spoke, shoving a small SMG into her hands. Triston met her eyes and nodded, not liking the idea of his mostly civilian girlfriend having to fire the gun. Mary nodded, holding the SMG tightly. Fifer had made sure she was trained in light weapons when they were allowed to use them, even if the man of the group didn't agree. Armed with light weapons, they headed to the medical rooms. Fifers hands fiddled with her own pistol. It hadn't been her favored weapon, but it worked until she could get her hands on something better.

"We grab some medigel and we leave immediately to the offices. It's the only place we can lock do-"

"Red Alert!" A male voice shouted to the halls. Fifer sped up, turning a corner and spotting the Cerberus agents all huddled around the medical room, waiting. "Red Alert! Intruders Detected!" The redhead held up her fist, ushering them back with her hand. It was then that she was aware of the explosions and faint screaming coming from around the base. Her stomach turned cold as the small group slowly backed up. "Terminate all current projects!" Fifers eyes widened, her hand gesturing to move faster as she watched the Cerberus agents ready their weapons. "Nullify all other Experiments!"

Fifer loaded her weapon as they ran around the corner.

"Nullify?!" Triston shouted, trying to keep his voice low as red lights and sirens started blaring. "They mean to kill us all!" Mary looked fearfully from Triston to Fifer, hands shaking around her loaded SMG. They continued to rush down the hallway, taking twists and turns until Triston put his hand on his superiors shoulder. "What are we going to do now?" Glancing at him, she continued on down the hall, reading the signs as she went. Tense silence filled the air as the red lights flashed.

"We run." Fifer said, a hard edge in her voice as she pushed open the seemingly normal door.

The emergency stairs looked disused and dusty compared to the rest of the base. Mary took Tristons hand, shaking as she walked behind the Scotts woman. They followed their unspoken leader into the brightly lit stairwell, stunned as she made her way up the stairs instead of down.

"We're underground?" The dark eyed male spoke, hands still securely around his pathetic SMG. Fifer paused, then raised a shoulder.

"No idea, but Ah can assure ye, ye don't want to be on the first floor. If they're really in such a panic, do ye expect them not to guard the entrance?" Triston made a sound of confirmation. The silence hung heavy in the air as they continued to make their trek up.


End file.
